


Standing Tall (won't break me down)

by ToTheStarsWriting



Series: dragon!Alec [7]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Caring Alec, Confident Alec Lightwood, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, I mean, Lydia Branwell & Alec Lightwood Friendship, Lydia isn't the bad guy, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Simon is a vampire, Vampires, dragon!Alec, he's a good friend, so you know, sort of character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:53:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23314213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTheStarsWriting/pseuds/ToTheStarsWriting
Summary: Just when things start looking up for Alec, when his life finally feels like at least some of it is going in the right direction, a few things have to come along and mess it up. Namely - the body of a young mundane that prompts a choice Alec knows will come back to bite him later, and the arrival of a guest he never wanted in his Institute.Choices are made, and secrets are brought to light, affecting everything and everyone.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: dragon!Alec [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1369069
Comments: 68
Kudos: 639
Collections: Tales of Malec & Dragons





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay guys, here's the next one! Be patient with me as I get these chapters done and up. I've got a general idea on how I want this to go, and some people to help nudge me into doing it. So let's see what we can get :D

Why was it that nothing seemed to be easy lately?

Not that Alec’s life had ever been particularly easy in the past. But since he’d met Magnus it had seemed like at least a few things were looking up. Especially once Magnus found out the truth about him. He’d taken it so much better than Alec ever could have expected. He didn’t act like it was some terrible thing—he acted _interested._ Alec had ended up answering question after question. Sometimes they weren’t easy, but for the most part most of them made him want to laugh.

They had a wonderful night together. Alec answered Magnus’ questions, and then he got to spend the night wrapped up with his boyfriend in that large bed that smelled mostly like Magnus, but now carried just a bit of Alec to it as well. Something which had Alec giving a little rumbly purr as he stretched out.

It was just a few hours before dawn when everything went to hell. A pinging against Magnus wards woke both of them from a dead sleep. In an instant Alec was up, hand already reaching for the seraph blade kept under the mattress.

Magnus, on the other hand, started to scramble out of the bed. He must’ve recognized whoever it was. He ran from the room, with Alec hot on his heels.

As soon as they were out in the main room Alec caught the scent that was coming toward them. It had him grabbing a hold of Magnus’ arm to stop him. When Magnus turned, shooting him a look that was no doubt meant to be sharp, something on Alec’s face cut it off. He turned just a little more, eyebrows furrowing down. “Alexander?”

The scent grew even stronger—blood, and death. Alec knew that combination, just as he knew the subtle scent of sulfur that was mixed in, too. There was a vampire and a corpse out in the hallway. It was so strong Alec could _taste_ it.

He never got a chance to respond to Magnus or decide what it was he wanted to do. The minute the vampire hit the wards of the loft they parted for him without even making him pause. The door opened of its own accord—something built in to let in those approved, just the way it let Alec in without needing to even knock—and Alec watched as Raphael Santiago came in carrying the weight of Clary’s mundane friend in his arms.

A wave of Magnus’ hand had the doors to the loft slamming shut. He went to move away from Alec only to stop when Raphael looked right past him and straight at Alec. The vampire stood tall and proud despite the body in his arms. His gaze was steady and his posture firm. He stood like a leader. “The last time we saw each other, I did you a favor at huge personal risk to myself and my Clan.”

“And for massive personal gain,” Alec pointed out calmly.

Raphael dipped his head in acknowledgement. “I’m here to ask for a favor in return.”

The fact that both favors involved the little mundane that Raphael was holding was enough to have Alec wanting to roll his eyes. This guy was more trouble than he was worth, honestly. Alec looked at the dead body and let out a little sigh that was part frustration and part resignation. No matter how much frustration this mundane was, this wasn’t something that Alec could just brush off or go back to bed and ignore.

He let go of Magnus’ arm and reached up with that hand to rub at the bridge of his nose. He knew what that scent on the mundane meant. There was a hint of sulfur coming from the corpse as well as Raphael. Not as strong, no, but _there_.

Alec tried not to let the heaviness he felt show in his voice. “Who turned him?”

A brief flicker of Raphael’s eyes toward Magnus made his answer clear even before he spoke. “Camille.” Another brief look at Magnus, this time with a hint of apology at the edges. “I caught the kid’s scent when I was meeting up with someone else. When I followed it, I found them in a club. I don’t know how she got him there, but by the time I came into the room he was dead, and she ran. I chose to get him out of there before they were spotted instead of chasing after her. I came here to hide him while I contacted you. My people are out looking for her as we speak.”

It wasn’t hard to see why Raphael would want to contact Alec about this. Though he was a bit surprised that the vampire hadn’t taken him to the Institute. Clary was there, and she would no doubt want to know what was going on with her friend.

“Why didn’t you take him to Clary?” Alec asked bluntly.

One of Raphael’s eyebrows went up. “The last I checked, your newest baby Shadowhunter doesn’t have the necessary clout for a decision like this, as well as the ability to guarantee protection for my Clan against something we didn’t even do.”

True. And this had the potential to turn into some big diplomatic incident if they weren’t careful about it. Which Alec definitely wanted to avoid.

It took effort not to sigh or to let anything show. Alec could understand the political ramifications of something like this. Raphael was here as a Clan leader doing his best to make sure that his Clan wasn’t going to be punished for the actions of Camille. Plus, there was no doubt in Alec’s mind there was some sort of personal interest in here somewhere. Though he wasn’t quite sure what. This was one of those moments that Alec was reminded just how much he was lacking in the humanity department. He recognized that there was some element he wasn’t getting here, something that he had a feeling after years of observation was one of those things that other humans seemed to just _get_.

Unfortunately, Jace and Isabelle weren’t there, and Alec had to be the one to make a decision here.

Or… he might not have his siblings, but he had someone just as good, if not _better_.

Alec turned to look at Magnus, not sure how to ask what he needed without giving away too much to Raphael. Asking quietly wasn’t even an option. Not with someone with super vampiric hearing in the room.

What he hadn’t counted on was just how well Magnus had come to know him. He caught Alec’s smile, and he nodded a little. Then he took a step forward and assumed control of the situation with an ease and competence that had Alec’s inner dragon giving a happy rumble.

“Okay, we’ve stood here debating long enough. Raphael, be a dear and bring your mundane over here for us. No, don’t put him on the couch!” A scowl twisted Magnus’ features when it looked like Raphael was moving toward the living room. He gestured sharply toward the far side of the room, stepping away from Alec while conjuring up a sheet. “Over here. The floor will do quite nicely. It’s not like he’s going to _feel_ it, after all…”

* * *

What had started out as a nice night ended up being spent debating the pros and cons of what to do and how this was going to reflect back on the vampires. Essentially, they did damage control, making sure that the vampires were protected against this act that they hadn’t committed or condoned.

And then the group went to bury a body.

Alec knew he was going to face a lot of grief for this decision. However, he wasn’t too worried about how to present things to the Clave. He’d had plenty of practice at spinning truths for them to understand. Beside which, so long as there was an attempt at proper paperwork, they didn’t really care what Downworlders did if it didn’t directly affect them.

There was another problem he hadn’t thought of, though. Or even realized might actually _be_ a problem.

“You know, I can go and get Clary if you’d like,” Magnus offered while they waited at Simon’s graveside. The fledgling had been buried. Now all they had to do was wait.

Raphael stood at the top of the grave, closest to Simon to be able to help restrain him when he came out and provide him with what he’d need. That left Magnus and Alec nearby, the two of them leaning against a gravestone to watch and wait.

Despite what they were there to do it was a nice night. One that Alec didn’t mind spending out here with Magnus. They were side by side, hips and legs brushing together, and Magnus had long since lifted Alec’s arm and burrowed in underneath it in what he’d _claimed_ was an attempt to ward off the child. The hint of spice to his scent suggested it was something else entirely.

Alec shook his head, his eyes never leaving the grave. “No. The last thing we need is to have her here.” She had a tendency to take situations and make them worse. The girl was young, untrained in their world, and unpredictable. There was no reason to have her here for something like this. She could come around once they were sure Simon was up, well-fed, and unlikely to kill her on sight.

For a second Magnus went quiet. Then he gave a low hum and turned his face in towards Alec’s chest. When Alec looked down, cat eyes were shining brightly up at him. “I can’t decide if this is your training, or one of those situations that we discussed before,” Magnus said honestly, with a bluntness he didn’t often use. That bluntness was tempered by the smile he wore, and the warmth in his eyes. “But I feel that, either way, I should warn you Biscuit isn’t going to be happy with you, Alexander. To her, Simon is her friend, and she’s going to be furious you didn’t consult her on this.”

 _What?_ Alec furrowed his brow. Why on earth would Clary be _mad_? From a purely emotional standpoint this seemed like the logical choice to make. “Would she rather her friend stay dead?”

“There are some who might think that. Either her or Simon might prefer that you left him dead rather than allow him to become a vampire.”

Those words had Alec’s eyebrows shooting up toward his hairline. He wanted to ask if Magnus was serious, only he knew that he was. This wasn’t something Magnus would lie about. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

Magnus smiled softly at him. Then he stretched up on his toes to press a kiss against Alec’s lips. “I promise, I’ll explain it once we’re home.”

Though it was tempting to demand a bit of a better answer now, Alec restrained himself. Half because he didn’t need Raphael hearing any more of the conversation than he already had, and half because he could hear Simon starting to stir in the ground underneath the grave.

Every sense Alec had was on high alert when he brought his focus back to the grave. He watched and waited as the fledgling slowly but surely clawed his way out of his own grave.

As far as resurrections go, this didn’t seem too bad. Yeah, Simon was clearly aching and thirsty but he wasn’t running around like some blood-thirsty maniac. He didn’t even lunge their way when he caught sight of Alec and Magnus. He just crawled, hissing slightly while his body came back to life… sort of.

“Once reborn, you emerge hungry,” Raphael said flatly. He tossed one of the blood bags down onto the ground in front of Simon, who practically fell on it as he scrambled to grab it. Instinct had clearly taken over. As he drained one bag and moved on to the next, Raphael snorted, clearly just a bit amused by the absolute mess the fledgling was making. “Very hungry. Drink up.”

Magnus and Alec stayed where they were. They didn’t move from the gravestone they were cuddled up against. Together, they watched as Simon finished off three bags of blood before he seemed to settle.

Wide eyes ran over them all. There was a clarity back in them that had been absent moments ago. Simon’s eyes went wide, and his face appeared even paler underneath the blood staining his mouth and chin.

“Wh-What’s happening?”

“You got too close to Camille, despite me warning you to stay away,” Raphael said. He shifted his weight, arms crossing over his chest. Though he looked like he was trying to be tough, there was a softening around his eyes that reminded Alec of when Jace was being stern to cover up the fact that he cared. “Take a moment. Breathe.”

Simon’s eyes ran over Raphael, and then Magnus and Alec, before finally going back down toward the ground. It wasn’t hard to see the exact moment that Simon caught sight of the bags of blood. His horror was clear. He practically threw himself backward to get away from them. “Oh G-…” The word caught in his throat. Alec watched, and he felt sorry for the little fledgling who had no idea what was going on. No idea what had happened.

For a brief moment Alec looked at him and he saw those wide eyes full of red tears. Saw the tremble in Simon’s hands. Despite the dirt and blood and so many other things, it flashed Alec back to childhood, back to the nights when Isabelle or Jace used to come hunt him down after a nightmare, or after their parents yet again did something to cut them down. Alec looked down at Simon and he saw the same scared little kid. One who wasn’t the least bit prepared for what had happened to him.

Alec was moving before he’d even thought about it. He wasn’t worried about his safety. If Simon tried anything, Alec could stop him. Not that he thought Magnus would allow anything to happen to him anyway.

Ignoring the way that Raphael took a step forward as if to stop him, Alec came right up to Simon. He stopped only a few feet away. “Simon.” In a move that clearly surprised the fledgling, and probably the others, too, Alec slid down to one knee so that he was at a better height to talk to the kid. And up close like this it was so much easier to see that he very much _was_ a kid.

Simon blinked a few times at him in clear surprise. “Alec?”

“I need you to listen to me, and to listen carefully, okay?” Alec said. He kept his voice firm and steady. Doing so had always worked to help calm his siblings. To his relief, it seemed to do the same for Simon, who nodded after just a second. “Good. I’m not going to sugarcoat things for you. Not when I can tell you’re already figuring this out.”

“I’m a vampire, aren’t I?” Simon breathed out.

Holding his gaze, Alec nodded. “Yes.” When the little fledgling immediately began to panic, the one thing Alec was trying to get him _not_ to do, Alec further surprised the people around him by reaching out and gripping Simon’s shoulder. “Simon!”

The sharp snap of his voice broke through Simon’s panic. He went still, eyes wide when they once more lifted toward Alec. The blood that had been pooling there was now spilling down his cheeks.

“ _Listen to me_. I get it—you haven’t had the best experiences with vampires. But being one doesn’t automatically make you evil or whatever else it is you’re terrified of. You’re still you, no matter what else has changed. Being a vampire doesn’t make you a monster.” Alec squeezed Simon’s shoulder a little tighter. “The choices you make do. You didn’t get to choose this happening to you, and I’m sorry for that. But right here, right now, you get to make a choice on how you deal with it. What kind of choice are you going to make?”

The speech was similar to one that a young Alec had received when he was just a little boy learning about who and what he really was. Ragnor’s speech had been gentler in some ways, and minus the whole “you just turned into a vampire” bit. But being given that choice after feeling like every other choice had been taken away from him—that was a memory that had stuck with Alec ever since then.

He watched as Simon’s eyes slowly cleared, his body settling just a bit more. For a second he closed his eyes and leaned in to the hand that was on his shoulder.

When Simon opened his eyes again, he sought out Alec’s gaze. “I don’t want to be a monster.”

“Then you won’t be.”

Whether it was the conviction in Alec’s tone, or some wellspring of strength that Simon found inside himself, he gave a small nod at Alec’s words. Then slowly, carefully, the two of them rose to their feet.

When Raphael stepped forward, Simon seemed to notice him for the first time. His eyes widened, and his mouth trembled just a little. “Raphael?”

Raphael didn’t acknowledge him for a moment. He instead looked right at Alec. Where before there’d been the start of grudging respect building between them it had now grown into something a bit more. “I’ll look after him. You have my word on that.”

“Good. I’ll do my best to keep Clary away for a few days while he settles. Contact Magnus when he’s ready for any kind of visitation.”

After that it was a simple matter of passing Simon off to Raphael. Which wasn’t that difficult, seeing as how Simon couldn’t stop staring up at Raphael the whole time like the vampire was one of the best things that had ever happened to him. Alec took one last moment to warn Simon, “Listen to Raphael. I get that you didn’t want this, and I get that it’s terrifying. But he’s been through it before, and he’s going to be here long after everyone else is gone. He’s also the Coven Leader. You’ve got a new set of rules and laws to follow, and I get the feeling he’s going to be your best guide for it, so pay attention.”

“Thanks, Alec,” Simon said softly, patting Alec’s hand. “Really, I mean it. Thanks.”

For a moment after the two spend away Alec and Magnus just stood there together in the graveyard. Alec watched as Magnus cast some sort of spell over Simon’s grave dirt. “We don’t want anyone coming along and using this to hurt him,” was all he said as an explanation. Not that it mattered to Alec. He trusted him.

However, by the time everything was said and done, it was coming up close to dawn, and Alec knew he needed to get back to the Institute. There were things that needed handled. His mother needed dealt with. And the paperwork for the night’s events needed to be filled out and filed if Alec wanted to keep his word on keeping Raphael and the vampires safe.

Magnus didn’t just let him go, though. He took a moment to draw Alec into his arms and kiss him first. “You were wonderful tonight, Alexander.”

The honest words had Alec shuffling a little. “I just did what needed to be done.”

“Which was far more than most others would’ve done.” A hint of a smirk touched Magnus’ lips. “Don’t try and convince me otherwise. Just take the compliment, darling.”

Amusement had Alec’s lips curving up on one side. “Thank you, Magnus,” he said dutifully, making sure to inject the words with enough dry humor to get Magnus to laugh.


	2. Chapter 2

Going back to the Institute wasn’t exactly something that Alec looked forward to. He was surprised to find how little he wanted to be here lately. Though it probably wasn’t fair, he had to admit that a good chunk of that he put at Clary’s door. Her arrival in his life had turned everything upside-down in ways that he was scrambling constantly to cope from. Adding in his mother’s current visit didn’t really help.

But, he was coping. He was doing what he could to keep his head afloat and maintain his Institute to the best standards he could.

So of course something had to happen to stir it all up.

Max’s arrival was a good surprise. Alec was always happy to see his little brother. Having each member of his family home made Alec breathe just a little easier. Especially in these troubled times. It was the arrival _after_ him that really threw a spanner in the works.

Alec and Max were walking through the ops center, talking quietly about the fact that their parents seemed to be fighting again—a fact which had Alec wincing, knowing that it probably had something to do with him. If only his parents knew the secret he’d somehow ended up keeping from them. If they had any idea about where Alec went most of his days and who he was spending his time with there was no doubt in Alec’s mind the both of them would be here raging at him.

Still, Alec did his best to reassure his little brother, and he made a promise to try and get his stele back for him so long as Max promised to behave during his visit.

They’d barely made it through the ops center when the doors at the entrance opened and _Valentine_ came walking in.

Alec moved immediately and instinctively. He shoved Max behind him and drew out his bow, unglamouring it from where it hid at his shoulder. He had an arrow flying before Max had fully steadied himself.

Watching Valentine calmly catch the arrow had Alec going still. At the same time, he caught a scent, something just a bit floral, and the air around Valentine seemed to flicker. _What the hell?_

Cautiously lowering his bow, Alec watched as Valentine pulled out a stele and bared his left arm. Even as he moved, Alec’s brain clicked together all the little details, and he _knew_. This wasn’t him.

A few seconds later and the glamour faded away to reveal a serious looking blond woman. The whole of the Ops Center was quiet as she stared at them. “That reaction time was abysmal,” the woman said. She strolled forward, pausing just a foot in front of Alec, and the floral scent grew stronger. It mixed in with something else. A hint of juniper? Her eyes flashed toward him, and one corner of her mouth twitched. “Except for you.”

He didn’t need her introduction to know who this woman was. This was the Clave representative his mother had warned him was coming. The very last thing Alec wanted in his Institute.

With seven words, this woman made Alec’s life infinitely harder.

“I’m Lydia Branwell, envoy from the Clave.”

* * *

Things didn’t get better from there. A Forsaken attacked at the Jade Wolf, Alec got word that—despite his protests in the past—his parents were apparently _scouting Idris_ for a damn _wife_ for him, and Lydia was taking over just about everything around her in her efforts to _analyze just how well run this Institute really is._

Alec wasn’t quite sure where this whole visit was coming from. Maryse had warned him about it, but she hadn’t made it seem like it was going to be anything like this. Her fears, he knew, were what they might discover about Alec while they were here. In some ways those were his fears as well. But he had to remind himself repeatedly that he’d been cautious. Careful. There was no way they could know the truth about his heritage.

What worried him more than that was what he suspected was the real reason that Lydia was here. Not because of his heritage and not just because of Clary, no matter what she said. Something told him this was happening because the Inquisitor wanted to see how Alec really was running things here. Trusting him with Clary, with Jocelyn, with the _Cup_ , was a huge thing. They’d want to make sure someone trustworthy was in charge. If they decided that wasn’t him, they could take the whole Institute away.

He worried about it as he and Lydia looked over the body of the Forsaken in the Institute morgue. His instincts were telling him that this was dangerous, that there was something bigger going to happen here. This creature smelled _wrong_. But his brain was too busy worrying about everything else going on to figure out what it was.

“We need to make sure no magic was used to make this,” Lydia said, startling him out of his thoughts. “I’m calling the nearest High Warlock to come in consult.”

Alec looked up at her, surprised. Though he knew Shadowhunters were willing to use warlocks for things he’d rarely met one willing to do so unless the situation was dire. “You want to call in Magnus Bane?”

This time it was Lydia’s turn to look surprised. “You know him?”

Instead of answering, Alec snorted. _You could say that_. He didn’t really think anything of it as he pulled out his cellphone. In seconds he had Magnus’ number pulled up and the phone pressed up against his ear.

Maybe it was some leftover confidence from how well Magnus had responded to recent revelations. Or maybe it was that Alec had never really wanted to hide his relationship with the warlock. He’d never really set out to keep their relationship a secret. With Magnus being called in, the thought of hiding, of pretending they didn’t know one another, didn’t even cross his mind. Alec wasn’t going to deny his boyfriend in front of anyone. Not even the envoy from the Clave. Magnus was the single most important being in Alec’s world. The co-head of a Clan Alec had begun to think of as _theirs_.

It only took two rings for Magnus to answer. When he did, his voice was as warm as it always was for Alec. “ _Darling, I didn’t expect to hear from you for a while! After your message about the envoy I was sure you’d be busy all day._ ”

Alec snorted. “You could say that.”

“ _What’s wrong?”_

Concern laced its way through Magnus’ voice. Even though Alec couldn’t see him, he was willing to bet that Magnus had sat up straighter, eyebrows drawn down to make that little furrow he got when worrying. The one Alec always had to fight back the urge to reach out and smooth away.

For all that dragons had a reputation as being fiercely protective there were times that Alec had a feeling warlocks could give them a run for their money. Or, maybe just this particular warlock.

One corner of Alec’s mouth curved up. He ignored the look that Lydia was giving him and straightened up, eyes running over the body once more. “I’m fine, Magnus. I’ve just been busy working. You’ve probably heard about it, but there was an attack at the Jade Wolf.”

“ _I’m aware. Luke warned me it looked like a Forsaken, yet not?”_

“That’s kind of what I’m calling you about. Luke let us take the body back to the Institute so Izzy could take a look at it, but before we let her cut into it we were hoping you might come over and see if you can pick up anything magical off the body.” The last thing Alec wanted was his sister to cut into the corpse only to be hurt by whatever magic might be lurking in there. Valentine was behind making this creature—Alec wasn’t going to take any chances.

Magnus made a low humming sound. “ _Of course. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to dear Isabelle. Just let me gather together a few things and I’ll be right over.”_ His voice changed a little then, turning more playful than anything else, and Alec just knew he was grinning. “ _Perhaps we can meet in your office afterward to discuss… payment._ ”

A bright grin lit up Alec’s features. He missed the stunned look that Lydia sent his way at that. “Of course, Mr. Bane. The Institute will see you properly compensated for your efforts.”

The two of them hung up after agreeing to meet in front of the Institute in ten minutes. That would give them both enough time to get ready—Magnus, to gather whatever he needed, and Alec, to alert security and get out to the front of the Institute.

When he hung up his phone and put it back in his pocket he looked up to find Lydia staring at him. Her eyebrows were up and her eyes wide. The scent of the dead body in the room covered up most of her scent completely, keeping him from using that to tell him what was going on with her. Though he didn’t know her well enough to know what her individual scent signatures would mean.

Alec drew his brows down and frowned at her. “Is there a problem?”

“I wasn’t aware you and Magnus Bane were friends.”

“Is there a problem with that?”

Just barely did Alec manage to keep a growl off of those words. His inner dragon was already up and snarling inside with the idea of someone having a problem with Magnus. He knew how the Clave viewed warlocks. Was Lydia going to be one of those types who looked down on anyone the Clave considered lesser?

He relaxed at the almost immediate protest she put up. “No, no. I just wasn’t expecting that.” Some of the Clave soldier about her melted away to something that Alec felt was a whole lot more real. It was the same glimpse he’d seen earlier when she’d told him about her deceased husband and how she’d lost him. Only this time, there was a warm, kind of shy smile in place of the sadness he’d seen earlier. “Actually, I’m quite eager to meet him. I actually can't wait to meet him. Did you know that my great ancestor, Henry Branwell—who was the last of Branwells to run an institute—and Magnus Bane invented the portal?”

“He told me about that.” They’d talked about it on one of their many dinner-on-the-balcony dates. Those were some of Alec’s favorite types of dates. He learned so much about Magnus during those times. “Maybe when he’s done you can talk with him about it. I’m sure he’ll have a lot of stories about your ancestor to share with you.”

She looked thrilled and delighted by the idea. Alec found himself liking her just a little bit more in that moment.

Now wasn’t the moment to try and deal with those things, though. They had a job to do, and both were good enough at their jobs to push aside personal things when it was necessary. Together, they made their way out of the morgue and upstairs.

Alec took a moment to duck into security and let them know that Magnus was on his way and that he had clearance. Then he met up with Lydia back out in the Ops center where he found her updating Maryse on what was going on.

One look at Maryse’s face and Alec knew he wasn’t going to be able to go outside and meet his boyfriend. Thankfully, he caught sight of Isabelle with them, and he walked right up to her first. “Izzy, would you mind going out front to meet Magnus? I told him I’d be there.” He darted his eyes over to Maryse to make sure Isabelle knew why he couldn’t go.

Just like always his sister understood him without words. She winked at Alec and patted his arm. “No problem, _hermano_.”

He watched her go and wished absently that he could escape, too. Unfortunately he wasn’t as lucky. He had to gather himself together and grip tightly to his restraint so that he was every inch the calm leader when he walked up to join Maryse and Lydia.

Alec had to fight not to wrinkle his nose when he reached the two women. Their scents were clashing against one another in a way that definitely wasn’t pleasant. Lydia’s juniper scent had an extra layer of beeswax and ink to it that would be pleasant on its own, if not mixed with the roses and eucalyptus that were dominating Maryse’s scent at the moment. They made a concoction that had Alec wanting to sneeze.

When both women turned their eyes towards him it took everything Alec had to keep moving forward.

He came to a stop beside them. The trio was in the middle of the Ops Center, the very worst sort of place for any kind of meeting. Every eye in the room was going to be on them. Though they were at least discreet enough not to stare directly. That didn’t mean that Alec wasn’t aware of the tension that subtly rose around them.

Maryse didn’t waste any time. “You’ve called the local High Warlock to come in?”

Her demand was clear, as was her annoyance. There was no love lost between Maryse and Magnus. Though Alec had never dared ask either one why, he’d noted the small shift in Magnus’ scent whenever she was mentioned, just as he noted the tension in his mother’s body and the barely-hidden sneer she got when forced to talk about him.

Alec shifted his body into the typical soldier stance that he always adopted around her. Spine straight, shoulders back, chin up, hands clasped behind his back. Here in the middle of the Institute he would show her the deference that was expected of him. At the same time, he wasn’t going to cow down in front of her. He met her leader to leader in a way that she wouldn’t be able to ignore. “We need to make sure magic wasn’t used in the creation of this creature.”

“And you just so happened to have his number?”

A quick glance toward Lydia caught her faint wince. Clearly she hadn’t meant to pass that information along, nor was she blind to how it was being received.

Being a disappointment to his mother wasn’t anything new for Alec. How he reacted to it, well, that was going to be new. For the both of them.

He could play this calm and diplomatic or he could do this the way that _he_ wanted. The dragon inside gave a happy rumble that made it clear just what that part of him wanted to do. For once, Alec wasn’t going to deny it.

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t have my boyfriend’s number?” he asked calmly, like he wasn’t dropping a bomb on them. One whose reverberations were going to be felt for miles around.

Whatever she might have said about it, he never got to know. At that moment the doors to the Institute opened and Alec caught the scent of his mate almost immediately. He turned toward it without thinking, a smile melting away the serious look on his face in a way those around him had never seen before. There were multiple eyes watching as Alec looked at Magnus.

It wasn’t some grand decision to move forward. He didn’t think about it, didn’t plan it. Magnus was coming toward him and Alec couldn’t react any other way than to move to meet him and greet him the same way he always did when they came back together after being apart.

He had a moment to catch sight of the surprise on Magnus’ face when Alec curled a hand over his hip. Then he was bending in to kiss him hello just like he always did, and Magnus kissed him back out of what was likely pure reflex.

When they pulled back, Magnus’ eyes were wide and his scent had spiked with that mulled wine scent Alec so loved, plus a hint more cinnamon. Breathing it in had Alec softening even more and smiling at him. “Magnus, thanks for coming. We appreciate whatever you’re able to give us on this.”

Alec got the rare treat in that moment of hearing Magnus _stutter_. It wasn’t something he’d known was even possible. Hearing it now only had Alec wishing to find ways to make him do it again. “I, um…of course. Of course.” Magnus, paused, breathing in, and then he straightened himself back up, drawing on the High Warlock persona to steady himself. He wrapped it around himself the same way that Alec wrapped up in his own title when necessary. “Are you here to escort me down? Or should we go to your office first?”

“I’d like you to take a look at what you can first. Once you know what you’re working with and whether there’s anything more for you to do, we can discuss payment. If that’s all right with you?”

The warm, wide smile that Magnus wore said he was more than all right with it. Alec couldn’t help himself. He bent in and kissed him again, just because he could. Because he looked beautiful and maybe Alec hadn’t intended on making a point to start with but that didn’t mean he couldn’t use this to do so now.

When they pulled apart, Alec turned to look at his sister. He found her beaming at him with so much love and pride clear on her face.

The sound of Alec’s name cut through their moment. Maryse gave a sharp “Alec!” that echoed through the room like the crack of Isabelle’s whip.

Alec didn’t bother turning around. Not right away. He stayed where he was and drew in a deep breath of Magnus’ scent. It helped steady him and gave him the courage necessary to look at Isabelle once more. “Would you take Magnus down for me, please? I’ll join you when I’m finished in here.”

In Isabelle’s eyes was a silent question. An ‘ _Are you sure_?’ that he nodded at.

Magnus made sure to brush against Alec as he went past. There was a faint hint of burnt sugar in that touch. When he moved away, Alec had to fight back a smile as he realized what it was his boyfriend had done. He’d deliberately used just a pulse of magic to make sure that the smell of it would linger where he’d touched on Alec’s clothes. Staying by his side in one way even if he couldn’t do it in the way they both wanted.

Having it on him helped Alec to keep calm when he turned back around to face his mother. He’d deliberately waited until Isabelle and Magnus were out of sight before he did so. He wasn’t going to force Magnus to deal with the fallout of this.

He wasn’t surprised to find Maryse glaring furiously at him. Lydia looked shocked, though Alec noted that she didn’t seem angry. Definitely not as angry as Maryse was.

“Alexander, my office,” Maryse snapped.

She was already turning to leave when Alec’s clear “No” rang through the room.

None of the Shadowhunters around them were even bothering to look like they were busy anymore. Everyone was looking at them. Alec straightened himself up under those stares. He wasn’t going to be ashamed of this. He _wasn’t_. They couldn’t make him. Magnus was—he was everything to Alec. No matter what else happened in his life he wanted Magnus to be a part of it. Better that they get used to that sooner rather than later.

“We have nothing to discuss,” Alec said, just as calmly and just as strong as before. “If you want to discuss Magnus’ services here, you can take that up with our current temporary Head who was the one to request we call him in. If you want to discuss my relationship with him—it’s not up for debate.”

Maryse looked even more livid. Something Alec hadn’t thought was possible. She took a few steps forward and lowered her voice as if that would make their conversation somehow private. “I will not let you make a mockery of our name or this Institute.”

“And I won’t let you make a mockery of what Magnus and I share,” Alec shot back.

There was the soft sound of movement. Then Lydia was there, coming up alongside them, and her official Clave face was back on. “Perhaps we should discuss this. Why don’t we retire to the Head’s office? We can arrange payment for the consultation, and then you two can handle your affairs somewhere a little less public.”

As little as Alec wanted to be anywhere private with Maryse, he knew Lydia wasn’t wrong. Besides, he’d already made the point he’d wanted to make here. Within minutes word would spread of his relationship to the whole of the Institute. By the end of the day, no doubt everyone everywhere in the Shadowhunter community would know that Alec Lightwood, oldest of the Lightwood children and Acting Head of the New York Institute, was dating the local High Warlock.

Alec left the room with his spine straight and his head held high.

* * *

Dealing with discussing payment for Magnus didn’t take as long as Alec had hoped. For some reason, Lydia—who had taken over almost everything else in the Institute so far—didn’t seem to have any issue deferring to Alec about what he thought was appropriate. “You have the experience in dealing with him, after all,” she said, after which she’d immediately blanched, and Alec had been stunned to see a faint hint of color in her cheeks. “I mean, when it comes to dealing with the Institute and things like that. Not… right. You know what I mean.”

Even so, it took a little bit for them to come to something agreeable. Alec wouldn’t admit that he dragged it out a little bit. He wasn’t looking forward to what was going to come next.

Still, eventually Lydia did leave them, giving Alec one last look as she did, and then it was just Alec and Maryse standing alone in the most warded room in the Institute.

As soon as the door was shut behind Lydia, Maryse wasted no more time. “Are you out of your mind?” she demanded sharply. “Do you realize what you’ve done?”

“I greeted my boyfriend,” Alec said.

The word _boyfriend_ had Maryse flinching. “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s not…”

He didn’t give her a chance to say whatever was going to follow that. The scorn in her tone was enough to have a low rumble starting in Alec’s chest. One that had his mother going still in shock. “Yes, he is.” Alec’s voice was edged with that rumble. A hint of threat for someone who thought they were going to speak out against what belonged to him. “Magnus is my boyfriend, Mom. We’ve been dating for three months now, and I’m tired of keeping it quiet. I won’t hide him from you or treat him like he’s some dirty little secret.”

“Do you have any idea what your actions are going to do to us? To our family? You kissed him in front of the Clave envoy! You’re going to make us a laughing stock of Idris!”

“I don’t care.”

His stark declaration was clearly the last thing she’d expected him to say. Maryse actually drew back a step. She recovered quickly, though. She was too much of a Shadowhunter not to. They couldn’t afford to be blindsided by shock or anything else. They had to be able to recover quickly and respond just as fast.

“What about the other risks?” she demanded. “Are you really willing to take the chance of him finding out what you are?”

This was the moment that Alec knew was truly going to piss her off. The one he’d known was going to have to happen eventually. “He already knows.”

For the first time in Alec’s life he caught a glimpse of his mother truly _scared_ by something. The rosemary in her scent took on an almost burnt edge. It was something he’d only ever smelt briefly in the past when she had talked about Valentine. “He _what_?” she breathed out, stunned. “You…you _told him_?”

“I won’t be with someone I have to lie to.”

Shock was slowly fading away. Though the fear wasn’t gone, Maryse was clearly falling back on the only emotion that might get her past it – anger. “And what about when he gets tired of your little dalliance and walks away? Do you really think he’s going to just keep your secret?” Maryse looked livid. Color rose high in her cheeks. The sharp tang of grapefruit mixed in with the rest of her, and oh, this was a scent he knew well. This was Maryse _angry_. “You’re putting your whole family at risk! And all for that… that warlock!”

The growl in Alec’s chest deepened. He felt his magic waver a little and knew that his true eyes were flashing through. “Mind how you speak about him, Mom.”

A knock on the door cut them off. Alec hesitated for a moment, staring his mother down, neither of them willing to bend. If it hadn’t been for the faint, familiar presence, Alec might’ve stood there and let whoever it was wait. As it was, he wasn’t going to do that to Magnus. “Come in!”

He didn’t look away from Maryse as the door opened. Nor as Magnus walked in. Alec stood where he was and waited patiently while the door was shut. Once it was, he spoke again, his voice much calmer. “You’re not going to be able to change my mind about this, Mom. This is what I want. _He’s_ what I want. Stupid as it apparently is, I’d hoped some part of you would be happy for me.”

“How can I be happy when you’re risking the lives and honor of our family?” Maryse spat back at him.

Magnus moved to stand at Alec’s side. He didn’t walk away and let him deal with this alone, though Alec would’ve understood. He didn’t quietly stay back out of the way. He came and stood strong and steady beside him.

Except, his presence drew Maryse’s attention, and she turned her sharp, cutting glare to Magnus. “I hope you’re happy with yourself.”

“I am,” Magnus said. He slipped his hand over Alec’s where they were still held tightly behind his back. The touch was a comfort and reassurance all rolled into one. Something to remind the both of them that they weren’t here alone. “Being with your son makes me very happy. As I hope being with me does for him.”

The slight twist to Maryse’s lips didn’t go unnoticed by either Alec _or_ Magnus. Though Magnus didn’t respond to it, Alec felt a spurt of anger. That only grew when Maryse turned back to Alec and opened her mouth, ignoring Magnus completely. “While I understand there are still some human things that you have issue grasping, this is one I never thought I needed to explain…”

That was all she got out before Magnus cut her off. “Don’t do that,” Magnus said sharply, clearly surprising her. The amount of sheer vehemence in his tone surprised Alec, too. He’d straightened up and was really glaring at Maryse for the first time since he’d walked in. “Do not blame the parts of him you don’t like on him not understanding what it means to be human. I won’t allow you to make Alexander feel like he’s at fault for what he feels.”

As much as Magnus’ defense warmed him, there was something Alec needed to say. He just had to figure out the words to explain something that, to him, was as simple and easy as breathing.

“It doesn’t matter if it is some part of humanity I don’t understand. I can’t…I won’t…” Pausing, Alec tried to steady his breathing. He let go of his hold behind his back so that he could bring one hand up to push it through his hair. His body slumped a little, some of the fight leaving him, and he gave his mother an imploring look. “I’ve given up so many other parts of myself to pretend to be human for you guys, and maybe I’ve failed at most of them. I’m not as good as Jace, or as smart as Izzy, or as clever as Max. But this? I can’t compromise on this, Mom. Magnus isn’t just some passing fancy. He’s my mate. There’s no one else for me. Not now, not ever. Not anymore.”

Maryse drew her head back like someone had slapped her. “W-What?”

“Dragons mate for life. Ragnor taught me that a long time ago. It’s one of the few lore bits everyone can agree on.” There were tons of stories out there of dragons who had gone mad at the loss of their mate. Or who had retreated from the world to die alone. Alec had never understood either of those ideas until he’d met Magnus. He looked down at him, smiling into the wide, stunned eyes. “Even if he walked away tomorrow, it wouldn’t matter. He’s it for me.”

For a moment it was easy to forget Maryse’s presence in the room. Alec was far too caught up in the stunned wonder on Magnus’ face. “ _Alexander_.”

Maryse made a low, pained sound, something that Alec couldn’t quite put a name to. He looked up, only to find that she was already brushing past them and heading for the door. She said nothing at all before she left.

It wasn’t the reaction that Alec had been hoping for. It was better than he’d anticipated, though. There hadn’t been any real screaming or any of the other horrible reactions she could’ve given.

For the moment Alec pushed all of that as far away as he could. He’d think about his mother later, as well as the ramifications from today’s actions. For the moment he and Magnus were alone together in a warded room that people knew better than to enter without gaining permission. That meant that he was free to reach out and pull Magnus in against him.

Magnus came easily. He reached up to curl one hand around the back of Alec’s neck in that hold that always had Alec wanting to purr a little at him. Then he drew him down for a kiss.

When they broke apart, Magnus was looking up at him with his glamour gone. “You never cease to surprise me, Alexander,” he murmured.

“In good ways, I hope?”

“In all the best ways.” Magnus stretched up to kiss him again like he couldn’t quite keep himself from doing it. He kept it short and sweet, almost chaste for them, yet full of emotion. The two broke apart a moment later yet didn’t move. Magnus kept his hold of Alec while Alec happily held Magnus’ hips up against his own.

The rest of the world was waiting for them, they knew. As soon as they stepped outside those doors they were going to have to face a group of Shadowhunters who had just found out their leader was doing something that they were all taught was wrong. They’d have to face Maryse, and Lydia, and whatever else might come from this.

But for this moment in time they stood there and held on to one another in the small bubble of peace in Alec’s office.

The rest of the world could wait just a little bit longer.

**Author's Note:**

> Be sure to let me know what you think! And feel free to come find me on tumblr HERE


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